Tuesday, January 22, 2013

no. 137 - marcelino lopez

Who is the man: Marcelino Lopez had already been dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers by April of 1971 after coming off his most successful season since his days as a starting pitcher for the Angels in the mid-1960s.

Can ya dig it: I love any spring training shot where you can see palm trees. It makes viewing the card an instant pick-me-up.

Right on: Check out Marcelino's signature. Did he scribble an "M" and a line for his first name? No sir. All autograph class for Mr. Lopez.

You see this cat Lopez is a bad mother: Lopez broke into the major leagues in a big way, winning 14 games with a 2.93 ERA for the California Angels in 1965. He finished second in the rookie of the year voting to Curt Blefary and received a big-ass trophy on his 1966 Topps card.

Shut your mouth: Lopez defected from Cuba in 1959 at age 16. He told teammates that he knew Fidel Castro, saying that Castro was a big baseball fan but a lousy player.

No one understands him but his woman: Lopez struggled with wildness and arm problems. When he was acquired by the Orioles, manager Earl Weaver would hassle him relentlessly about his inability to throw strikes. But Lopez had a strong season for the 1970 Orioles and Baltimore won the World Series that year.

(A word about the back): Lopez was pitching for the Rochester Red Wings when he threw the no-hitter against Richmond in 1969. It was a 7-inning no-hitter and he allowed a run as Rochester won 5-1.